BURGLARY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIII, Issue 7935, 8 January 1906, Page 6

BURGLARY.

EXCITING SCENES IN AUCKLAND. AUCKLAND, January 6. A burglary, attended with sensational struggles and ohases and the eventual capture of two men, happened at eleven o'clock last night. A hotel porter named Briggs heard the smashing of glass as he passed J. Moves' tailoring shop in Victoria Street, and informed Bowden, a cabman, and Constable Armstrong. Tho constable proceeded to Moyes' shop, and espied a couple of legs dangling in the air, the owner apparently being suspended through a window. He seized the legs, the owner of which resisted fiercely. Constable Armstrong suddenly became aware that there waa some one inside the shop, and realised the necessity of quietening the man in hand as soon aa possible. This he did with tho aid of a few blows from his baton. Stepping towards tho window he saw a man inside the shop holding something shining. The man called out: other step and 1 fire!" Tho constable invited him to come out and have "a go fur it." The man said, "I'll do for you," He got out of the window and made a dash tor tho street, but the constable closed with him. A struggle ensued, and the man gave the constable a severe kick on the knee, despite which Armstrong gained the upper hand and grounded him. Seeing ho was bcaien. the prisoner said he would give iu, and put his bands into position to receive the handcuffs. In the meantime the other man had recovered and bolted to Queen Street, where Bowden seized him, but let him go on receiving a vicious fcite. Then, however, a man named McDowell appeared on the scene, and with Bowden's assistance convoyed the man to the police station in a cab. Nearly all of those engaged in the affair needed surgical attention. The shorter man of the *;wo, who had been struggling with the constablo, was slightly cut about. McDowell's head was rather severely out with a stone. Ouo of the accused gave the name of Percy Smith. The name of the other is not known. The burglars were evidently interrupted at an early stage of their operations, though a quantity of clothing had been paoked inside the , window ready for removal. The burgldrs had not got beyond this stage when they were interrupted. LATER. Percy Smith, alias William Thompson, alias Charles Millei, oharged wtih burglary and assault, appeared at the Police Court this morning, and was remanded till Friday. One of the ways iu which the good old 'Merne Monarch," Charles 11., showed his merriment was to assent to an Act under which anyone who worked on the Sabbath day could be put into gaol. Recently, says the Melbourne Argus, Mr Warde, M.L.A., suggested that this Act should be put into force, iu order to punish the New Zealand Loan and Mercantile Company for having, it was alleged, recently compelled its employees to work all day on Sunday. Sir Samuel Gillott, to whom a question on the subject was addressed, admitted that tho Sabbath Day Observance Act was in force in Australia, but he knew nothing as to the facts in the case referred to by Mr Warde. Mr Lemmon reminded the House that the punishment provided was a period in the stooks, and asked if the necessary oquipmentjvquld he supplied. "Well, a lot of Chinamen in the Premier's constituency were fined for working on Sundays, and I do not see why Presoyterians should not te fined also," remarked Mr Warde. The Chief Secretary promised to make enquiries. In the District Court, Sydney, recently, Judge Murray, in settling a heated argument between opposing counsel, laid down some fine rules, showing that there] is a limitation to the privileges of the Bar when a cross-examraation is being conducted. Mr James put a question to a'witness and added "Now, be careful." Mr Mocatta, who was appearing for the plaintiffs, one of whom was in the box, objected to the words, which he likened to a threat or an insinuation that the witness was not speaking the truth. The cross-examining counsel protested against being interrupted; it was for his Honour to say if the caution was not] justifiable in the circumstances. These words, be declared, were very often used by counsel as a haDdy way of getting a threat over a witness. Mr Mocatta again strongly objected to the threat, and also to the plea uf justification. Judge Murray ruled Mr James was not justified in using the words. In vain counsel again pleaded that it was a common practice to use the expression when necessary in cross - examination. His Honour stated that words were very oftun used by counsel when they should not be used. In the same way objections] were very often taken when they should not be taken; and then, again, objections were very often not taken- when they should be taken. To New Zealanders the pronunciation of Maori names is simple enough, but to the person from abroad they are a perpetual stumbling-block. Only the other day a broad smile went round the people on the Paeroa railway plat-, form when a tourist in knickers askedfor directions as to how he was to get to "Way-br&h." "Perhaps you mean Waihi?" suggested one of the bystanders. But the Johnnie knew better. He wanted to ge to "Wayhigh," and for the enlightenment of tl}6 crowd he spelt out the word—■ "W-a-i-h-i-!" Even a better instance is that of the lady passenger who glanced out of the window at Hikutaia station, and remarked, with the air of one who knew all about it, that she noticed the name of the place was "High-oue-shea." There is a story that has become almost classic about a young New Zealander who went to New South Wales, and had his head nearly snapped off when, in a lesson on New Zealand geography, he attempted to convince the master that one of the principal rivers in the North Island was not called "Waa-gan-yoa-eye. ll